UK Mail benefits from online boom

Britons' growing love for online shopping helped demand for parcel deliveries at UK Mail, the private post deliverer, leap 10 per cent in the first three months of this year.

Overall, the company's revenues rose by 14 per cent in the first three months of 2012, accelerating earlier growth rates and helping its earnings rise 8 per cent in the year to April.

But UK Mail said: "We continue to assume that UK economic conditions will remain tough throughout 2012 and tight control of our costs will remain a key focus."